And Then
by Lantern
Summary: Its a spooky night, the Newsies are bored. What happens when they each take turns telling part of a 'scary' story? r & r :D


(An): Just a little idea that came to me in a dream. Ok, not quite in a dream but I was watching the movie. :: I might write in the accents, beware I might switch on and off (habit, you know.) :: (Disclaimer): Nothing belongs to me; I'm not making any money (unfortunately).  
  
~ :: * :: ~  
  
And Then.  
  
By: Lantern  
  
The wind whipped the tree branches against the windows of the Lodging House. The scratch of the finger like twigs startled the sleeping boarders.  
  
"What was dat?" Boots' eyes snapped open. He pulled the thin blanket closer around him.  
  
"Tree." Jack mumbled, half asleep.  
  
Boots slowly looked at the window, where there was, just as Jack had said, a tree clawing at the glass. He chuckled softly to himself feeling foolish.  
  
"Just a tree." He whispered punching his pillow into shape, "just a tree."  
  
It was quiet for a moment. Then CRASH! Thunder shook the sky. Lightning danced a menacing dance in the near distance. Rain whistled through the air, howling to get in from the cold.  
  
Skittery, true to his name, jumped out of sleep. He glanced outside and snickered at himself for being afraid of a storm. Looking across the aisle, he saw Boots a pale tinge to his dark skin. His eyes wide with fright, he clutched his blanket.  
  
Skittery sighed audibly, hoping he would go back to sleep.  
  
"I saw a, a ghost or somethin'!" Boots suddenly shouted.  
  
An almost unanimous groan rose from the now awake boys, they blinked in the darkness.  
  
"What was dat for?" Itey muttered, clearly annoyed at being woken up.  
  
"A ghost, it was standin' outside da window!" Boots stammered, still holding his blanket for dear life.  
  
Heads turned to peer out the rain splashed window. Nothing was there, nothing but a tree.  
  
"It was tree, Boots. A tree." Jack sighed.  
  
Boots smiled sheepishly, but couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen something.  
  
After an hour of trying to resettle in sleep, it seemed impossible. The storm continued to rage like a tempest. No one managed to get their eyes to close.  
  
Finally, Itey spoke up, "I know something that's scarier den a tree." His voice low, almost mocking. He looked directly at Boots.  
  
"What? Your reflection?" Skittery sniggered; not liking the way Itey was looking at Boots.  
  
Itey's glare cut through the dark at Skittery, "No. I know a story about somethin' so scary you'se gonna need a change of sheets."  
  
Skittery rolled his eyes and stuffed his pillow over his head to block out Itey's voice.  
  
"Ghost stories, Itey? C'mon." Kid Blink, now fully awake, raised an eyebrow.  
  
Boots looked from one boy to the next as Blink and Itey argued over ghost stories being scary or not. Itey ended the argument with a shrug, "Well, if ya too scared ta hear it Blink."  
  
"I ain't scared. Tell it." Blink said, taking the bait.  
  
The other boys propped themselves on their elbows and started to gather around Itey's bunk.  
  
Boots shuddered under his blanket, he didn't want to hear any scary stories now.  
  
Itey sighed at the sight of a shaking Boots, "Fine. We'll make it less scary. Just for Boots." He snorted, "We'll take turns telling a part of the story."  
  
"How's dat gonna woik?" Mush asked.  
  
"Like dis. One person goes outside and starts makin' up a part of da story while another person is in here telling another part of the story. Then the person outside comes inside and tells their part of their story. But each story teller has to use the same character, and can only know what the last word of the last sentence was." Itey explained, looking for approval.  
  
Mush looked confused for a moment, "So, you'd be in here telling the first part of the story, and I'd be outside making up another part of the story and I wouldn't know how the story began? But den da story ain't gonna make any sense!"  
  
"Dat's da point. If It doesn't make sense it's less scary. Right, Boots?" Itey sneered. Boots didn't answer just glared at Itey from under the blanket.  
  
Jack volunteered to go outside first and start making up the second part of the story, while Itey motioned for everyone else to gather around him.  
  
  
  
Itey began his story..  
  
"This is a true story. It happened right here in Manhattan.  
  
A few years back, there was a newsie named Statue McGinty. He was average; he could sell about fifty papes a day. Nothing too unusual about him. Until he went crazy.  
  
  
  
Halloween day, Statue was sellin' in his usual spot, near da statue of coise. He was just sellin' his last pape when something suddenly made him go insane.  
  
On da outside he looked normal, but inside he wanted revenge on everyone. And he was going ta get it.  
  
That night, in this lodging house, he plotted his revenge.  
  
Around midnight, he sat up in bed like he was possessed. His eyes started ta glow an evil red. He got up and walked slowly to the nearest bunk, his friend Sunday's bunk.  
  
Statue pulled a gleaming knife from behind his back and."  
  
  
  
Itey stopped and went to retrieve Jack from outside, "Now it's Jack's toin."  
  
  
  
Jack sat on Itey's vacant bunk, he had felt guilty for Boots and decided to make his part of the story less frightening. Skittery got up and went outside, it was his turn to make up a part of the story.  
  
"So da character is Statue McGinty, and da last word was 'and.'" Itey leaned back against the bunk's frame.  
  
  
  
Jack nodded and began his story.  
  
  
  
"And suddenly a hamster ran out from under the cupboard and bit his toe. Statue laughed and hugged the hamster until his eyes bulged."  
  
"WHAT?!" Itey yelled, this story wasn't going how he had planned.  
  
"I ain't done yet." Jack glared.  
  
  
  
"So, the hamster's eyes began to bulge bigger and bigger until finally, the hamster exploded. Just like that. No warning or nothing.  
  
Statue was very upset by the hamster's death and began to cry. A single teardrop landed on the cold hamster's tiny body. It began to stir and grow; the hamster grew and grew until it was ten feet tall.  
  
It pointed at Statue and squeaked, "You killed me!! You killed me!!"  
  
Statue shook his head fervently, he hadn't meant to make the hamster explode. As the hamster drew nearer, it's giant claws out stretched, Statue got down on his knees."  
  
Jack stopped and called for Skittery to come inside. Dutchy left as Skittery entered.  
  
"Da last word was 'knees'" Jack said, sitting on the floor. Skittery sat on the bunk and began the third part of the story.  
  
  
  
3 Next chapter: Skittery's part of the story. R&R if you liked it :) 


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